Thermionic tube socket



-May 18, 1943. H. H. EBY 2,319,728

THERMIONIQ TUBE SOCKET Original Filed June 16, 1937 INVENTOR HUGH- H. EBY

A TTORNEYS 'treme economy in production cost.

Patented May 18, 1943 2,319,728 rneamomo TUBE SOCKET Hugh H. Eby,

H. Eby, Inc., of Pennsylvania Jenkintown, Pa., assignor to Hugh Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation Original application June 16, 1931, Serial No.

148,546. Divided and this application December 18, 1940, Serial No. 370,639

1 Claim. (Cl. 173-328) This application constitutes a division of my application filed June 16, 1937, Serial No. 148,546,

' now matured into Patent No. 2,259,157.

This invention relates to thermonic tube sockets, and particularly to receptacles for radio tubes.

The general theoretical requirements for such devices are well known and include uniform and low contact resistance, uniform and tight prong engagement, strength, attractiveness of appearance, as an attribute of sales appeal at least, even if mechanically of small moment, and ex- I'his latter manifests itself in susceptibility .to mass production, in the reduction in amount and expense of material used, and, of probably greatest moment, in reduced labor costs. Other advantageous attributes include easy and cheap installation, susceptibility of the receptacle to changed contact relation, ease of attachment of the connectors,

etc.

It is among the objects of this invention; to secure each one of the foregoing advantages in socket receptacles; to provide a radio socket receiving housing, for mounting the sockets on a panel, of novelty and high utility; to provide a socket housing in which either a laminated or molded socket receptacle is interchangeably mountable; to improve molded sockets; to improve laminated sockets; to improve contacts for receptacles; to provide a metal stamping in which parts have a snap or push fit to assemble a complete socket without eyeletting or riveting and with a minimum of labor; to improve radio socket contacts; to provide improvements on my earlier filed applications Ser. Nos. 25,369 matured into Patent #2,l2'7,556 August 23, 1938, and 25,055 now matured into Patent No. 2,196,697; to provide a radio tube socket andmounting plate so arranged that after positioning the plate on a chassis the socket can be removed, either in whole or in part, to rotate it, for variation of indexing; and many other objects and advantages as will become more apparent as the description proceeds.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention a metal stamping is provided as the mounting support for the socket, within which a socket device is mounted, there being cooperating portions of socket and stamping to anchor the socket within the stamping.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this description;

Fig. 1 represents a transverse vertical section through a pan and base, the latter being composed of two insulating plates,

Fig. 2'represents a fragmentary enlarged section of the same, a

Fig 3 represents a side elevation, partially in section, of the assembly of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 represents a perspective of a form of contact,

Fig. 5 represents a plan of the lower insulating plate of the base of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 represents a fragmentary section through a modified form of plate barrier formation,

Fig. '7.represents an elevation of the plate of Fig. 5,

Fig. 8 represents a fragmentary section through a still further modified form of plate'barrier formation,

Fig. 9 represents a bottom plan of the upper insulating plate of Fig. 1,

Fig. 10 represents a vertical transverse section through the upper plate shown in Fig. 9.

An important factor in the invention is the facilitation of under panel or over panel mounting, and some preliminary consideration may be given to this part of the development. The panel of a radio receiving chassis, of suitable material, is provided with an aperture, usually circular, within which the socket receptacle is to be disposed. An annular opening is not necessary as oval, square, or any other desired contour may be provided, according to the particular demands. The radio socket receptacle is to be mounted either directly in the aperture, supported by the edges of the panel surrounding the aperture, as will later be discussed, or by means of a sub-surface support will be mounted on the panel in alignment with the aperture.

The preferred form of sub surface support forming an important part of this invention comprises a metal stamping or socket mounting, having an upper substantially plane face, merging into a substantially cylindrical wall. The short flange surrounding the annular aperture merges into the cylindrical wall, and completes the stamping. Obviously the sizes and shapes of the various parts just recited will be changed in ac-- cordance with conditions and demands. Under certain conditions, for instance, the flange will be extended to form a substantially closed lower floor within which the radio tube receptacle will be disposed, depending upon the height of the side wall, among other things, or it may be cut away to form mere supporting legs in'place of the complete flange shown. Various forms of modified flanges will be discussed later herein. The elemental complete flange which is sometimes preferred is shown. The upper surface preferably has two diametrically opposed securing ear portions, suitably apertured by oval apertures, preferably, to accord with different distances between holes in the panel, to receive mounting elements, such as eyelets or the like. The stamping, cage, mounting support, or pan, is preferably formed of resilient sheet metal, although molded metal or insulating materials may be used. The mounting support or supporting frame is obviously a cheap and relatively inexpensive item, using a minimum of material and labor in its production.

It being desired to mount radio socket receptacles within the supporting pan easily and cheaply, it is desired to provide some means for facilitating the entry of the sockets, while acting to anchor the parts securelyfagainst undesired withdrawal after positioning, While it will be evident that if desired suitably independent fastening means, such as staples, eyelets, screws, bolts and the like may be resorted to in securing the broader advantages of the pan support, yet this is not preferred, and it is preferred to so form the pan that automatic locking assembly follows the mere association of the elements.

It will be recognized that in its broader aspects it makes no particular difference what sort of radio socket is associated with the metal stamping or mounting frame, whether molded as described, or molded in part and laminated in part, or whether it comprises two insulating sheets of elements including the type normally called laminated.

A pan and base assembly is disclosed in Figs. 1 to of the drawing. The pan I94 has a lower flange I 65 provided with a plurality of notches or indentations I66 which may be complete notches or may be only deep enough to furnish an upturned indexing lug and has the oval or elongated fastening apertures I61 in the extension ears I68, and the initially upstanding lugs or integral tongues or tabs I19 arranged to be bent over upon the base element ,to be described. The base element may take numerous forms, but one embodiment is shown in Figs. 1 and 9. The upper insulating plate or element "I may be formed of ordinary molding materials such as the phenolic resins, etc'., but it is preferred to use the well known low loss dielectric material. The lower plate I12, to be discussed, may be made of the same material, or of laminated or molded phenolic materials or the like. The lower plate I12 comprises preferably a substantially relatively thin disc having an enlarged ax- I ial opening I13 and a plurality of contact receiving apertures I14 arranged ina circle concentric of the plate. Each contact aperture is preferably oval in order to receive and hold against rotation the contact I15, as shown in the backing portion and the spaced convergent arms each unsupported. This enables support symmetrically of the axial thrust or push of the entering prong of a radio tube socket at each extremity longitudinally (transversely) of the contact and with the arrangement of the contact apertures shown, or any other arrangement wherein the supporting lug of one contact is not juxtaposed to another on the adjacent contact, a minimum of leakage is possible between adjacent contacts, as the clearance 209 therebetween is a maximum, while facilitating soldering of connectors to the tails of the contacts.

The plate I12 has a plurality of notches or recesses I13 in its periphery, and the plate is arranged to be seated upon the flange I65 01 the supporting pan. After seating, or prior thereto according to preference, the contact elements I15 are dropped downwardly through the selected contact apertures I14, resting upon the upper surface of the plate on their outtumed flanges I89 and I 99 at their upper ends, as shown in Fig. 3 or by the reach upon the upper surface of the plate by a supporting portion, as is well known in the art. The upper molded or otherwise formed plate or sheet I1I has the central guiding aperture I11 preferably smaller than the guide recess I13 of the lower plate, having the communicating guide recess I18, and a pinrality of arcuately disposed contact apertures I I80 for the reception and guiding of .the prongs on a radio tube, and the upper ends of the guide apertures I89 may emerge into or communicate with the slight annular gutter I8I, although this is not essential. The lower surface I82 of the upper base element IN is provided with a plurality of substantially radial shallow ribs or barriers I83, preferably extending from the guide opening I11 to the outer periphery of the plate,

. and evenly spaced between pairs of contact prong guide apertures. The plate preferably also includes a plurality of lugs or integral extensions I84 which may be short enough as to merely extend part way down into the apertures I13 of the lower plate, or may pass completely through those recesses and into the selected or desired notches I66 in the flange of the pan as shown in Fig. 1. The upper plate of the latter figure is also preferably provided with a plurality of recesses I85 in which the lugs or ears I10 may be upset to anchor the upper plate, and thus the lower plate and contacts as well, in the pan. The provision of the ribs I83 insure the provision of small compartments in which the flanged ends I16, or I89 and I99 of the contacts I15 are received, while interposing barriers to the leakage of current across the space between adjacent contacts.

That many modifications and changes can be made in the device will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Illustratively, for instance, it will be clear that the barrier disposition of Figs. 1, 9 and 10 and 7 can be altered to possible advantage, as shown in the fragmentary views Figs. 6 and 8. In the first mentioned disclosure the bottom plate I9 is provided with ribs 29, in place of those, or in addition to those of the top plate as shown. Or, as shown in Fig. 8, the bottom plate may have radial grooves 39, to receive the barrier ribs shown in the top plate. In each case a possible increase in the efllciency of the radial barriers against leakage between contacts may be secured.

I claim:

A radio tube socket comprising a pair of insulating plates in juxtaposed relation, a pair of contact apertures in one plate, a pair of contacts mounted in said apertures and each having a portion overlying said apertured plate, barrier means mounted on the plates and extending between the plates separating the adjacent apertures to minimize leakage between said contacts,

the other plate of the pair having apertures registering with the contacts in said first mentioned contact apertures, said barrier means comprising a rib on one of said plates and a groove on the other plate of the pair, with said rib nested in said groove.

HUGH H. EBY. 

